Marine munition and the like.



A. A. BARBOSA. MARINE MUNITION AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 121918.

1 278,420. Patent ed s t. 10,1918.

- MENTOR).

A; ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO AUGUSTO BABBOBA, F LOS ANGELES, GALIFORF'IA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-BOTH DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

roun'rn '10 RALPH :r. nommsonz Ann ONE-FOURTH T0 wrLLEm) ANDREWS,

MARINE MUNITION AND THE-LIKE.

Application filed April 12, 1818. Serial No. 228,204.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Amomo AUcUs'ro 'BARBOSA, a, citizen of the UnitedStates, is

' ,sels, which, will be superior in point of relative' simplicity andinexpensiveness in con str'uc'tion and, organization, taken in connec-@1011 w th facility in use and control, pos1--- tiveness andeffectiveness in operation, 'a'nd general efficiency. gl/Yith 'the aboveand, other ob ects in view, the" invention consists in the novel "anduseful provision, applicatlon, construction, combination, association,relative arreligeipentwandnmode of handling and use' n t suc means andits arts; and features, ell as hereinafter described, shown in thedrawing and finally pointed out in claims.

. tmtion .ofist esem 'taken upon the line w m Fig. 11, end lookingdownwardly;

g; 3 is a view-similar to Fig. '1, showing a modified form ofconstruction in tended for a different mode of use, at art being brokenaway for convenience of i lus- 1g. 4 is e conventional showing of a,submerged submarine craft provided with two of the mines shown in'Fig.1, said mines being shown-upon an enlarged scale, connections betweenthe mmesand the submurine bein' broken away for conven-:ienejtfiillulstgs ionze- This view also shows a. marine vessel abovethe mines and about he etti'eked some;

Fig. "-5 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional view taken upon theline mv, Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4,.of a submarine and mine featurestherewith, showing the mines being towed by the submarine, parts beingbroken away for con vcnicnce of illustration.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the somereference characters, 3

Referring with particularity to the drawing, the improved marinemunitions therein shown, in each of the figures in which the someappear, comprises mine A, the same beingprovided in Fig. 3 with firingmeans a, responsive to contact with a ship or other object and beingprovided in the niodificationshown in Figs. 1, 2, and t with firingmeans 6 adapted to be controlled from a point remote from the mine A, asfrom the lower or main casing member 9 and anupper casing member 10,preferably rounded or dome-shape, and bolted to thelowcr cesing member 9at co-cn'gaging flanges, as at 11. Within the casing members is providedthe explosive charge 12, which is disposed Within an envelop of pliableor plastic or semi-mobile substance, 13, grease of suitable consistencybeing especially adapted for such use. V

Within the mass of explosive materiel 12',

' and preferably above the zone of'the'flange connection at 1l, isprovided eniass "14, of suitable percussive material or fulrninate,inelinite be ng found suitable for such agents- This likewise isdisposed within or covered over by 'an, envelop 15 of the. same generalcharacter the envelop" I3, 'and preferably of grease. In the form ofmine shown in 3, the firing means a coinprise Specification of LettersPatent. Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

- pemlently d i sol I a rged. grease envelops seems to. prevent, suchsymfiring pins 16 which are slidably mounted in tubes or sleeves 17preferably detachably applied to the upper mei'nber 10 of the easing, bythreaded connections as at 1.8, at openings in such casing member 10,which permit the pins to play lengthwise and to be brought at theirinner ends into contact with the percussive material or high explosivel4, such pins being yieldingly withheld slightly the tulminate 14, as bycontractile springs if) applied to the pins and wings.

In the form of mine shown in Figs. 1, '3, i and (i, I provide the firingmeans (1 utilizing an electric spark produced at the fnlminate H by anelectric path consisting of circuit wires 20 provided within the cableand suitably insulated apart as at 21, such circuit wires leading to thebattery or source of electrical supply 22 controlled by a. suitableswitch 23, the. battery and switch being installed, in the particulararrangement and utilization shown in the drawing, upon or in thesubmarine vessel B.

The mine at its lower member 9 is pret erahly provided with vertical orlongitudinal reinforcing flanges 24. which may be joined together bystaggered or zigzag cross flanges :25.

I) designates a marine. vessel. such as awaship. beneath which the sul.n'1arine B with itscaptive mines A is located, and which is about to beattacked by the same.

The (.iperation, method of use and advantages of the improvements inmarine muni tion's will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription, takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, and thefollowing statement:

The contact mine shown in Fig. 3 is suitably located and anchored andoperates under the same conditions as in ordinary use of such marinemines, andthe inclusion of the fulminate mass 14 and of the explosivemass 12 in plastic or greasy envelops 15 and 13,.causes a highlyetficicnt control and application. of the energy released upon fir ingof such charges. The action scans to be to cause a. more'evenlydistributed and uniformly directed radiation of the explosive forces. Inthe use of these mines in proximity to each other, the envelops ofplastic substance or grease prevent sympathetic explosionof the mineswhen it is intended to only'disclnirge one. This is par' tic'ularlyuseful in the, event that two or more mines are-held captive byasubmarine or other vessel as shown in Figs. 4. and i, and intended tobe successively or inde- The use of these ex losions due to concussion.

.m ()I'CQIl'lCiit flanges 24 and 25 serve to relatively strengthen, thelower member 9- oi the casing, and thereby tend to cause the disruptionof the casing at its meu'iber 10, whereby the force sion is directedupwardly and laterally rather than directed down\\-'ardl v.

ll. is unmit'est that many variations and adaptations of my inventionmay be made without departimg lrom the spirit. of the in veution or theterms of the following plaims.

Having thus disclosed my invention. 1 claim and desire to secure byLetters l'ateul l. in improvements ol the character dlsclosed. a minecomprising an outer shell or easing. explosive material within thecasing, and an envelop of plastic substance within the casing andsurrounding the explosive material.

in improvements oi the character ilisclosed. a mine comprising an outershell or casing, explosive material within the casing. and an envelop olplastic substance within the rasin and surromuling the explosivematerial: there being rovided within the explosive material a mass ofsuitable tulminate i. in improvenu nls ol' the character dis i'losrd. amine comprising an outer shell or easing. euplosive material within thecasing, and an envelop of plastic substance within the rasing andsurrounding the explosive material; there being provniled within theexplosive material a mass of suitable fnlmi- 'nate, and there beingprovided 'an envelo of plastic material surrounding such fuminute.

4. In. improvements of the character disclosed. a mine comprising ashell or casing,

the casing, and

explosive material within envelop ot'grease surrounding the exupper ot'the exploan plosive material.

5. In in'lprovements of the character disclosed. a. mine comprising acasing, explosive i'uaterial within the casing, and a body of plasticmaterial interposed in part between the casing and the explosivematerial.

.6. In in'iprovements of the character disclosed, a mine comprising acasing, explosive material within the casing, plastic materialinterposed in part between the casing and the explosive material; therebeing provided a mass of fulminate within the explosive material whichis likewise in part surrounded with a mass'oi' plastic material. i

7. Tu improvements of the character disclosed. a mine -.om ')risin; ashell or casing, explosive material within the shellor casing,

and a mass ol grease disposed in part bccasing and the explosive tweenthe shell or material.

8. in inun'ovemeuts oi the rharar'ler disclosed. a mine comprising ushell or casing, explosive material within the shell or casing, and amass ofgrease disposed in part and a body of' explosl ve n'ilaterialwithin theshel or casin at 1.0. In improven'ients of the cl'iaracterdisclosed. a mine comprising a shell-or casing one portion of I which isreinforced to strengthen it over a further portion, and explosivematerial within the shell or cas ing'; there beil'ig provided betweenthe portion ot'the casing of lesser strength and the explosive materiala mass of plastic substance.

11. In improvements of the character dis closed, amine comprising ashell or casing one portion of which is reinforced .to strengthen itover a further portion, and explosive material within the shellorcasing; there being provided between the 01'- tion. of the :asing ofl. "r strength am the explosive material a mass of plastic substance,and there belng a mass of fulnnnate disposed w thln. the explosivematerial and is reinforced to within the portion of the casing of lesserstrength. a

In improvements of the character disclosed, a minecomprising a shell orcasing one portion of which is reinforced to strengthen it over afurther portion, and explosive material within the shell or casing;there being provided between the portion of the casing of lesserstrength and the explosive mzziterial a mass of plastic substance, andthere being a mass of fnlminate disposed within. the explosive materialand Within the portion of the casing ofjlesser Y strel'igth; there beinga mass of plastic substance disposed. in part between the explosivematerial andsaid fulminate;

13. In improvements of the character discl( part of which reinforced tostrengthen it over a turther portion and cause the force -of theexplosion to be directed uupwardly and laterally rather than downwardly,and explosive material within the shell or casing. In testimony whereof,I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ANTONIO AUGUSTO BARBOSA.

Vitnesses:

GEO. H. S'roNE,

B. ADAMS.

l, a mine comprising a shell or casing,

